Japanese Mafia Leader Charged with Trafficking Nuclear Materials, Targeting Iran
In a significant development, US prosecutors have filed charges against Takeshi Ebisawa, a reputed member of the Japanese mafia, for allegedly conspiring to traffic nuclear materials. The 60-year-old is accused of attempting to sell uranium and plutonium with the intention of aiding the construction of a nuclear bomb in Iran.
Ebisawa, currently held in a Brooklyn jail, is identified as a senior figure in the Yakuza, a notorious Japanese organized crime syndicate with global operations spanning Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Thailand, and the United States. Earlier this year, he and a Thai co-defendant faced weapons and drug charges in April 2022.
According to the US Department of Justice, Ebisawa and his associates showcased samples of nuclear materials in Thailand to an undercover agent from the US Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA), posing as a weapons and drugs trafficker linked to an Iranian general. The nuclear samples, originating from Myanmar, were confiscated by Thai authorities and subsequently examined by a US laboratory, confirming the presence of uranium and weapons-grade plutonium.
π²π² #Myanmar – π―π΅ #Japan: Takeshi Ebisawa, a known senior figure in the Japanese Yakuza crime syndicate, has been charged by #US prosecutors for attempting to traffic nuclear materials from Myanmar to #Iran. The money from the sale of weapons-grade uranium was allegedly going toβ¦ pic.twitter.com/hv3vcRGZDw
β POPULAR FRONT (@PopularFront_) February 22, 2024
Prosecutors allege that Ebisawa not only sought to traffic nuclear materials but also aimed to acquire substantial quantities of military-grade weapons for an unspecified rebel group in Myanmar. The weapons included surface-to-air missiles, assault and sniper rifles, machine guns, various rockets, and tactical gear.
The investigation revealed that in February 2020, Ebisawa contacted the DEA agent regarding the sale of nuclear materials, emphasizing the health risks associated with uranium through encrypted communications. Later in September of the same year, he allegedly emailed the undercover agent a letter from a mining company, offering to sell 50 tonnes of uranium and thorium for $6.85 million (Β£5.4 million). Prosecutors claim he also sent photographs displaying a dark rocky material accompanied by a Geiger counter to measure radiation levels.
The charges against Ebisawa include conspiracy to commit international trafficking of nuclear materials, narcotics importation conspiracy, conspiracy to acquire, transfer and possess anti-aircraft missiles, and money laundering. If convicted, he faces life imprisonment.
Ebisawa’s co-conspirator, 61-year-old Thai national Somphop Singhasiri, is facing separate charges related to drugs and weapons. The duo is scheduled to be arraigned in a New York federal courtroom on Thursday. Assistant Attorney General Matthew G Olden emphasized the potential consequences of such illicit activities, stating, “It is chilling to imagine the consequences had these efforts succeeded, and the justice department will hold accountable those who traffic in these materials and threaten US national security and international stability.”